Dibley Yacht Design

Dibley 30 Performance Shorthanded Keeler

Shorthanded racing has become very popular of late in New Zealand and abroad with our design office receiving plenty of requests for a 30-foot yacht that caters for this type of sailing but also incorporates all the comforts for weekend family cruising.

Designed as a 30-foot performance cruising yacht that is fast, simple and easily crewed shorthanded, the Dibley 30 packs in a lot of features not typical in a 9 metre yacht.

All sailing handling systems are led back to the confines of the cockpit for ease of shorthanded sailing and simplicity.

Twin helms aft allow the helmsperson to steer well to windward or leeward whilst keeping the cockpit open and clear. (Tiller steering is also available).

Comfortable seats are moulded into the cockpit with storage to starboard, and coamings to help keep the cockpit dry.

The sail plan is powerful yet easily handled shorthanded. It includes a gennaker prod that is pulled back into the yacht from the confines of the cockpit when not in use.

Mainsheet and traveller are all in front of the helm and easily controlled by either the helmsperson or crew. The swept spreader rig allows no running backstays though these can be used for longer races when on a long beat to windward, for instance.

The appendages are designed for maximum lift and minimal drag. The 2.4 metre draft and sail plan design will provide a light helm on the wind and high performance off the wind. The Design team have strived to make this a fun and pleasurable yacht to sail.

The modern interior is designed to maximise light while providing a spacious ambience. Dropping down the companionway there is a functional galley to port and a double berth aft. To starboard there is a navigation table and an enclosed head aft.

Forward in the Saloon is a large wrap around dining and lounge area with a large skylight above and fixed hull portlights. This lounge area can be set up for two extra single berths when required. In the bow is a further double berth that can be removed when the yacht is in racing mode.

A Yanmar 21 hp Saildrive gives plenty of power when needed, and a 20 litre diesel tank aft of the engine gives plenty of fuel with options to increase capacity if preferred. Engine and house batteries are stored under the companionway stairs

As custom designers, we can easily optimise this design to suit most sailors requirements and needs. From deck layouts to accommodation changes, we can look at all areas and fine-tune accordingly.

Custom one-off building or for production purposes, our design team can assist. Drop us a line to and we’ll see what we can do.